Fox News is getting completely frazzled and defensive because Barack Obama stated a well-known fact: That Fox News’ intent from the beginning of his presidency was not to report news or challenge his presidency, but to destroy it.

“One of the biggest factors is going to be how the media shapes debates. If a Republican member of Congress is not punished on Fox News or by Rush Limbaugh for working with a Democrat on a bill of common interest, then you’ll see more of them doing it.”

Fox News did not take the statement lightly. In a back and forth with Brian Kilmeade and Fox News legal analyst Peter Johnson, Jr. during “Fox & Friends,” they chided the president by pointing out a few instances where the president — justifiably — called out Fox News for attacking him, and accused him of attempting to stifle the debate.

Brit Hume then jumped on the bandwagon with a commentary, while disregarding the reporting amongst the mainstream media which creates false equivalances between misinformation from the right and minor issues on the left. They do this to create an impression of impartiality even at the detriment of truth and the well-being of the American democracy.

Fox News generates so much false, silly, and misleading information that comedians regularly seek it as great fodder for their shows. Back in July, Jon Stewart did a segment on his Daily Show to illustrate the extent to which Fox News demonizes and mischaracterizes our president’s words. One should ask why it the President’s “war on Fox News” is not even more pronounced.

One would think that Fox News would try to stay quiet on this issue. Videos last forever. The constant attacks on the president day in and day out without offering plausible alternatives to his policies is out there for all to see.

Placing the president’s calling out of Fox News before their own viewers may be exactly what the president wants. Obama clearly seeks to delegitimize them with their own base. Fox News has been broadcasting false impressions for so long that its viewers were taken completely by surprise after the 2012 election — not only because Obama won, but because he won by such a wide margin. Perhaps this time, the president’s words will reach more receptive ears.

The president is launching a war on Fox News and they cannot help but take the bait.